Tube-cleaner.



A. F. FROUSSARD. TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 1930.6, 1912.

1,1 10,31 9, v Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

m WITNESSES: //1.

A. P. PROUSSARD.

TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1912.

1, 1 1 0,31 9. Pa t'ented Sept. 15, 1914:.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I/VI/E/VTOR: A.F.Froussard n earn ()FFIC 5%;

TUBE-CLEANER.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

itpplication filed December 6, 1912. Serial No. 735,245.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. FRoUssAR'D, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. -Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Tube-Cleaner, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning the tubes of boilers, condensers, or the like.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which a plurality of tubes, preferably four, may be cleaned simultaneously.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a tube cleaner made in accordance with my invention together with a' portion of a boiler to which the same is applied, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in sect-ion; Fig. 2 is an end view of the cleaner disconnected from the boiler; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of F ig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged detail views of the tube cleaning tool; Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of one of the fastening devices, and Fig. 10 is-an enlarged end View of the auxiliary cleaning tool.

Like marks of reference refer to similar parts in the several views of the drawings.

11 is the outer or rotating portion of the cleaner. This portion 11 is annular in form and is provided on its outer face with a set of sprocket teeth 12 by means of which said part is rotated from any suitable source of power (not shown). Arranged within the portion 11 is a disk 13 which is held stationary. This disk 13 forms a bearing for the rotary part 11. Formed in the disk 13 are a number of openings 14 to accommodate arms 15 through which pass the stems of the boring tools, as will be hereinafter more fully described. In order to adjust the boring tools to tubes which .vary slightly in their distance apart, the said arms 15 are pivotally mounted to a hub 16 by means of bolts 17 provided with nuts 18, see Fig. 1. The hubs 16 may be made integral with the disk 13. I prefer, however, to make the hub 16 separate from the disk 18 and secure it thereto by means of bolts 19, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each of the arms 15 is provided with a central passage 20 through which extends the angular stem 21 of the boring tool. Extending outwardly from each of the arms 15 is a boss 23 on which is mounted a small gear wheel 24. This gear wheel 24 is provided with an angular opening 25 adapted to receive the portion 26 which in turn snugly fits the boring tool stem 21. This portion 26 is preferably provided with a flange 27 hearing against the end of the boss 23. The gears 24 are adapted to engage With the teeth of an internal gear 30 formed on the interior of the annular member 11. Projecting at the opposite end of the arm 15 from the boss 23 is a socket 31 adaptedv to receive-a sleeve 32 and be clamped thereon-by means of bolt 33 passing through lugs 34. It will be understood that the socket 31 is split so as to allow its clamping. on the sleeve 82. On the opposite end of the socket from the lugs 34 is a lug 35 adapted to provide means for securing the device on a boiler or the like, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The slaave 32 is adapted to pass through the handhole 36 in a handhole plate 37 and to be c'onnected by means of a ring 38 with the tube 39 of the boiler. These tubesfl39 are set in the tube plate 40 in the usual manner. On the end of each of the tool stems 21 is secured a cleaning tool such as is shown in detail in Fig. 5. This cleaning toolcoxisists of a pair of end plates 42 and 43 respectively, in which is mounted a plurality of rollers 44, each preferably provided with teeth extending in opposite directions at different ends of the tool. The rollers 44 are provided with tru-nnions 45 which project into elongated openings 46 in the end plates 42 and 43, so that when the tool is rotated, the rollers are free to move out against the said tube by centrifugal force. In order to hold the tool centrally of the tube, I arrange, adjacent to the end plate 42,. a disk 48 which is of substantially the same size as the tube.

Inorder to allow water to pass through the tube while it is being cleaned, I provide this disk 48 with a plurality of notches 49. Secured to the central rod 50 of the cleaning tool, adjacent. to the forward end plate 43, is an auxiliary tool 51, shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 10. This tool 51 is conical in shape and is adapted to remove the central portion of the scale as the tool is forced through the tube. This tool 51, is provided with notches 52 in its periphery for the passage of the water through the tube. In order to supply the water 'to' the tube, I preferably. use a construction like that shown in Fig. 1. In this construction,,53 is a supply pipe delivering waterto a manifold 54 from which pipes 55 lead to the various sleeves 32 and deliver water to the same.

' Inprder to move the cleaning tools longitudinally of the tubes, the rear end of the clearing tool shanks 21 are pivoted in arms 57, shown in FigsQl and 2. These'arms 57 are pivoted at '58 to a hub 59 carried on a handle 60 by means of which the tools may be moved longitudinally of the tubes. In order to secure the device to the boiler to be cleaned, the lugs 35 hereinbefore referred to are engaged by hooks 61 formed on spring fastening devices which are adapted to engage by means of hooks 63 with the handholes in the plate 37. These spring fastening devices 62 areprovided with detachable clutches 68, shown in, detail in Fig. 9, so that when the said clutches are thrown into the position shown in- Fig. 9, the hooks 61 and 63 are readily separated. A similar fastening device 65 is secured by means ofa bolt; 66 to the hub 16. At the opposite end this fastening device is provided with 'a'bar or plate 67 adapted to pass through the handhole and be at right angles thereto. 'Ihe fastening device 65 is provided with the clutch 68 similar to that of the fastening devices 62 hereinbefore described.

The operation of my device is as follows: Power is supplied to the sprocket teeth 19. from any suitable source so as to' rotate the outer member 11 of the device. The rotation of this outer member 11 through the internal teeth 30 will rotate the gear wheels 24 which are mounted upon the arms 15. These gear wheels 24 will in turn communicate rotary motion to the shaft 21 of the tools which pass through 'them. These shafts 21 are moved forward into the tubes 39 by means of the-handle 60. While this operation is being performed, water is fed into the tubes through the supply pipe 53, branch pipes 54 and the-sleeve 32. It will be evident that by means of the pivots 17, the tools can be adjusted to accommodate any slight variations in the distance between t e tubes 39. It will also be evident that by means of my device, a number of tubes can be bored simultaneously without any more difficulty than has heretofore been experienced in boring a single tube.

Havin fully described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent of the United States is:

' 1. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member, of an inner stationar member, a plurality of shafts carried y'said inner member and arranged to simultaneously enter a plurality of tubes, tube cleaningtools carried by said shafts, and means for communicating motion from said outer member to said toel shafts.

2. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member, of an inner stationary member, arms adjustably carried by said inner stationary member, shafts slidingly mounted in said arms, tube cleanin tools carried bysaid shafts, and means or communicating motion from said outer member to said tool shafts.

3. In a tube cleaningdevice, the combiand means for communicating motion from said outer member to said tool shafts.

4. .In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member provided with an internal gear, of an inner stationary member, shafts slidingly mounted in said inner member, tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts, and gear wheels engaging with said internal gear and driving said tool shafts.

,5. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member provided with an internal gear, of an inner stationary member, a plurality of shafts carried by said inner member and arranged to simultaneously enter a plurality of tubes, tube cleaning-tools carried by said shafts,

and gear wheels for engaging with said internal gear and driving said shafts.

6. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member provided with an internal ar, of an inner stationary member, arms ad ustably carried by said inner member, gear wheels mounted on said arms and engaging with said internal gear, shafts slidingly mounted in said gear wheels, and tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts.

7. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member, of an innor stationary member, a hub removably carried by said inner member, arms pivoted to said hub, shafts carried by said arms, tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts, and

gaging with said internal gear, shafts slidingly mounted in said gear wheels, and tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts.

9. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member, of an inner stationary member, shafts slidingly mounted in'sa'id inner member, tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts, means for driving said shafts from said outer member,

a plurality of clamping sockets carried by said inner member, and sleeves connecting said sockets with the tubes of a boiler or the of said cutting roll ers being in two parts provided with oppositely inclined spiral teeth. 1

11. In a tube cleaning device,-the combination with an outer rotary member provided with internal teeth, of a non-rotary inner member, gear wheels carried by said inner member and engaging with the teeth of said outer member, a plurality of shafts rotatable with said gear wheels, means for sliding said shafts longitudinally in said gear wheels, and tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts.

12. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member provided with internal teeth, of. a non-rotary inner member, a plurality of arms adjustably carried by said inner member, gear wheels carried by said arms and engaging with the teeth of said outer member, a plurality of shafts rotatable with said gear wheels, means for sliding said shafts longitudinally in said gear wheels, and tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts.

13. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member forming a casing for the working parts and pro- 'vided with internal teeth, of a non-rotary inner member, gear wheels carried by said inner member and engaging with the teeth of said outer member, a plurality of shafts rotatable with said'gear wheels, means for sliding said shafts longitudinally in said gear wheels, and tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts.

14. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member forming a casing for the working parts and provided with internal teeth, of a non-rotary inner member, arms adjustably carried by said non-rotary member, gear wheels carried by said arms and engaging with the teeth of said outer member, annular members securectto the ends of said outer member and preventing longitudinal movement between said gear wheels and outer member, shafts slidingly mounted in said gear wheels, and tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts.

15. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member provided with internal teeth, of a non-rotary inner member, arms adjustably carried by said inner member, tube clamping devices carried by said arms, gear wheels mounted on said clamping members, shafts sliding longitudinally in said gear whee ls, tube cleaning tools carried by said shafts, and anchors carried by said tube clamping device and adapted to engage with the head of the boiler. v

16. In a tube cleaning device, the combination with an outer rotary member provided with internal teeth, of a non-rotary inner member, a hub removably carried by said inner member, a plurality of arms adjustably carried by said hub, tube clamping members carried by said arms, gear wheels mounted on the said tube clamping members and engaging with .the teeth of said buter ALBERT F. FRoUssARn' a 8.]

Witnesses:

G. M. SHORE, W. A. ALEXANDER. 

